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go there. theres ALOT of awnsers to ur questions and this may help better. or you can google airbrushing tips, lessons etc and find the info you need. also search on the board here as i no there are a few threads on this topic. hope that helps. good luck!

I just noticed this thread, or I would have chimed in before. I use Aztec airbrush, because they are quite affordable and give a good finish. The selling point with Aztec (which I think is now owned by Testors - or Kodak or something) is that the workings are pretty much all in the nozzle, which is replaceable, and there are different types of nozzle for different applications. It's a good airbrush.

The 2 basic types of airbrushes are single action and double action.
Single action brushes have a button or trigger that only serves to dispense the paint. The rate of flow is not adjustable, unless you have an adjustable compressor.
Double action brushes have a dual-action trigger. The harder you press straight down, the greater the airflow. When you depress and pull back on the trigger, it increases the paint flow as well. So it's a bit more versatile.

I use a Testors/Aztec double action airbrush. It's relatively inexpensive, and as Gypsyboy mentioned, the tips are interchangeable for ease of cleaning and different effects. (They sell hi-flow/fine line/spatter tips, etc.)

The key with any airbrush is practice to get used to the features. If you think you're only going to use it for coverage of relatively large areas, I'd recommend trying out a single action gun.

if ya dont know which one to choose, try both! lol
harbor freight tool has a dbl action for 14.99, and a single action / hobby airbrush for 7.99. for those pices ya cant go wrong + there actually not shabby at all. i use em all the time. there so inexpensive if one goes bad toss it and buy another. and ur not putting a whole lot of $$ if its something only needed for a project or two. have fun with the fett! keep us posted.

I run a Badger 150. Its a dual action, comes with 3 different needles, works very well, and cleans up easy. Its a great brush and the price is not too bad. Its very popular and has many accessories. The bottle adaptor that came with it, is bigger that the Testors/Model Masters/etc bottles. I bought a few adaptors online that fit them. They were only $2-3 a piece

i'm something of an airbrush snob. you'd never know it from my steadfast avoidance of them in my fett suit, but i've been airbrushing since the early 90s.

like everything, there isn't a right or wrong. everyone comes up with their own style over time.

a few things that are important to me:

i'll only use double action. WAY easier for me to control. i also only like bottom feed... the little cups at the top don't hold enough paint. with a bottom feed you can either use the little cup or bottles.

classic brush. when airbrushing in the mall was big, this was what most of them had. my high school rig had a few of these. i didn't have the $$ for a big setup, but i had 3, usually one for black, one for white and one for colors.

i love this one. i've got one currently. i've had it for years and haven't even changed a needle. though i don't do anything precise with it... it's all for laying down weathering / broad expanses of color where i want a fine gradient / no splatter.

iwata eclipse hp-bcs

i haven't used this one enough to comment. i had a 1/2 of any 1 item coupon for ac moore and it was the most expensive thing i could think of that i wanted

on the air source... i don't like the little always-on compressors that usually get sold at art supply stores.

right now i've got a porter-cable compressor from home depot. it goes up to 150 psi, and i paint at 30 - 40ish. it has a 6 gallon tank too, which is enough for 10 minutes or so of painting, and it refills fast. so basically the compressor is off more than it is on.

Yep, I use my big Craftsman 33 gal. I have dual regulated output coming off it. One, I keep high for the big tools, the other I keep on the low output for the airbrush. Being 33 gal tank, I can run a long time with no compressor noise

Yep, I use my big Craftsman 33 gal. I have dual regulated output coming off it. One, I keep high for the big tools, the other I keep on the low output for the airbrush. Being 33 gal tank, I can run a long time with no compressor noise

mmm... nice. i'd love a big one like that. mine can't power the big auto sprayer i have in the garage. someday i'll get a bigger compressor!

Im sure there all a little different for cleaning. I take the whole thing apart and cleah it with windex and thinner when your done...(this is waht i do at the end of the day) I have a Passch VL. it takes about 5-10mins to clean. Its not that hard once you figure out how it works.

Im sure there all a little different for cleaning. I take the whole thing apart and cleah it with windex and thinner when your done...(this is waht i do at the end of the day) I have a Passch VL. it takes about 5-10mins to clean. Its not that hard once you figure out how it works.

Just dont blend the LONG PIN!.. or dull the end.

hah... i don't take mine apart often at all.

i have a BIG bottle of createx airbrush cleaner, diluted 50/50 water. i spray it through till it comes out clean, usually 1-2 minutes. i spray into a bucket with a lid that has a small hole in it. stick brush in hole and spray spray spray

maybe once every couple of months i'll break it down. when we were painting the huge jabba the hutt i did, since i was spraying thinned house paint through it, and it was all sorts of clogged and nasty.

thanks for the tips
I had an idea... not sure it would work... would it be possible to make like a stencil by using something kinda like decals.... but I'd use them as stencles instead of actually keep them on the armor... you know... whatever they use for trooper stripes... except not... because I't actually paint it... GAH! words arent my friend today... I hopeyou know what I mean

It would be cool if I could make extremely accurate ones so I'm sure I get every "scratch" correct. anyone make something like that?

or would it just be better to do the detail work with a regular fine brush?

excellent thread, and it was very helpful. I hit amazon today and used my Amex reward points to buy the iwata eclipse hp-bcs and a Iwata-Medea Studio Series Sprint Jet Single Piston Air Compressor. I also got a couple of "big mouth" bottles. This will be my first experience with airbrushing, and my first Boba build. Should be interesting.